Fremont District To Tone Down New Sex-Ed Textbook After Complaints, Threats From Parents, Lawyers

FREMONT (CBS SF) — Bowing to pressure from parents, Fremont Unified School District said it will tone down its new sex-education textbook.

The book’s been shelved for now, but parents still aren’t happy.

High school freshmen were supposed to use the health book for sex-education this Fall, but after parents protested and their attorneys threatened to sue the District, Fremont Unified decided not to use it for this upcoming semester until they modify it.

Some of the images in the book, ‘Your Health Today,’ were too graphic to show on KPIX 5. Among these illustrations were a close-up look at private parts. Parents complained the photo is provocative. Others insist some of the topics are inappropriate for high school freshmen.

Parent Sally Hu showed KPIX 5 a passage with information on how to find a partner.

“It’s got a full page of links to online dating,” said Hu. “Why would you give that to 13 or 14-year-olds?”

The textbook also talks about masturbation, sex toys and orgasms. There’s a paragraph about bondage, using handcuffs, ropes and blindfolds for sex games.

“Health classes at the district’s high schools will use their previous textbook on an interim basis… the administration has been in communication with the book’s publisher, who has offered to modify the textbook to better meet the District and its students’ needs.”

Still, parents said that’s not enough. They said the entire textbook is age-inappropriate for high school freshmen.

“To me, it would make sense to look for another book,” said Hu.

The Superintendent was not available for comment so it is not clear exactly what modifications will be made.

Meanwhile, the District has to get approval from the school board to pull the new health textbook and go back to the previous book.